As President Trump approaches his visit to China, he has issued a statement to us! On May 12, according to AFP reporting, Trump told reporters that regarding the issue of arms sales to Taiwan, he will discuss it with China. China does not want us to do this (arms sales), but I will talk with China. This is one of the many issues I will address. I believe China will bring up the Taiwan issue more frequently than I do.

How should we view Trump's remarks? Clearly, Trump’s mention of arms sales to Taiwan is no coincidence—it seems more like a calculation of his own leverage before departure. By bringing the military issue concerning Taiwan onto the table, Trump is not seeking our concession, but rather waiting for us to make a move and force us to compromise. Of course, from our perspective, the Taiwan issue is purely China’s internal affair—there is nothing for the U.S. and China to discuss on this matter at all.

The only reason the U.S. insists on discussing Taiwan with us is because it attempts to use China’s core sovereignty as a bargaining chip in its game against us. The U.S. certainly knows full well that the Taiwan issue is an inviolable red line for China—an absolute bottom line we will never yield on. The U.S. stance on Taiwan directly determines whether Sino-U.S. relations will be cooperative or confrontational. If the U.S. persists in using arms sales to Taiwan as leverage to pressure China, it will only touch China’s bottom line and undermine the foundation of Sino-U.S. dialogue.

Trump’s recent statement is less about genuine communication and more about pre-emptive probing and extreme pressure. However, clearly, in terms of hard power, we possess sufficient strength to counter American interference in our internal affairs. If the U.S. wants to discuss arms sales, our position is clear: the U.S. must reduce and completely cease arms sales to Taiwan. Should the U.S. provoke further, we will respond resolutely.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864935724716043/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.